Healing from Childhood Trauma

Mending Open Wounds

Childhood traumas, even those experienced many years ago, leave unhealed wounds on the psyche. As children, we lack the tools to cope with these difficult experiences. A lack of critical thinking, limited emotional resilience, and undeveloped self-compassion make us particularly vulnerable.

As adults, however, we can take responsibility for our lives, make a conscious decision to create desired change, and acquire the necessary tools and skills to do so.

How Do Childhood Traumas Affect Us?

Childhood traumas can shape our identity and our perception of the world. Core beliefs formed from painful events—such as "I am unworthy" or "I am weak"—can trap us in behavioral patterns that prevent us from realizing our potential. Imagine a person who experienced repeated criticism in childhood. To cope, they adopted a "perfectionist" identity, trying to avoid failure at all costs. This identity became a survival mechanism, but in adulthood, it may become a source of stress, anxiety, and a feeling of being stuck.

Traumas can also profoundly affect our ability to form intimate relationships. For example, a person who experienced abuse in childhood may fear intimacy and find it difficult to trust others. Feelings of shame often accompany traumatic experiences. CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) can help identify negative thoughts associated with shame and work on changing these thought patterns.

The effects of childhood traumas can manifest in various areas of our lives:

• Difficulty forming relationships: Fear of rejection, difficulty trusting others, jealousy, detachment, people-pleasing.
• Problems with self-image: Low self-esteem, harsh self-criticism, obsessions.
• Difficulty regulating emotions: Emotional extremes, difficulty calming down, outbursts of anger.
• Physical problems: Chronic headaches, digestive problems, sleep disorders.
• Addictions: Substance use, addiction to gambling or food.

Is It Possible to Break Free from the Past?

The answer is yes! As adults, we have the opportunity—and the tools—to change. Trauma-focused therapies like TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and TF-ACT (Trauma-Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) can help:

• CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): TF-CBT focuses on identifying negative automatic thoughts that arise from the trauma and replacing them with more realistic thoughts. Using tools like thought diaries and behavioral experiments, CBT helps us identify the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and develop new coping strategies. For example, if a person fears social situations due to a past traumatic experience, CBT can help them identify the negative thoughts ("I will be embarrassing," "No one will want to talk to me") and develop strategies to cope with the anxiety, such as gradual exposure to social situations.
• ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy): TF-ACT offers an approach of acceptance and presence. Instead of fighting painful memories, we learn to accept them as part of life, without letting them control us. The approach focuses on developing psychological flexibility, meaning the ability to choose behaviors that align with our values, even when there is pain. ACT teaches us how to treat thoughts as passing mental events and how to act according to our values despite the difficulty.

The Benefits of Trauma Therapy:

• Improved emotional well-being: Reduced anxiety, depression, and physical symptoms.
• Development of coping skills: Learning how to cope with stress and difficult situations.
• Improved interpersonal relationships: Building healthier and more fulfilling relationships.
• A fuller life: Returning to experience joy, satisfaction, and pleasure.

The path to recovery is personal and unique to each individual. The support of an experienced therapist, the integration of various therapeutic techniques, and patience are key to success.

Trauma therapy is not about erasing the past, but about covering the unhealed open wounds with stronger scar tissue, allowing us to live full and meaningful lives.

Summary:

You don't have to face trauma alone. Help is available, and your life can change for the better.

Childhood traumas can deeply affect our lives, but they are not a life sentence. Through appropriate therapy, we do not erase past memories, but we can heal the open wounds that resulted from the trauma, cover them with the scar tissue of emotional resilience, and develop a fuller life.

If you feel that the past still affects your present life, do not deal with it alone. Seek professional help. Therapy can help you heal the open wounds and free yourself from the past. The first step is the decision to seek help.

Important Note: The information presented in this post is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice. The information presented here is based on scientific research and clinical experience, but does not constitute a recommendation for a specific treatment. Every person is unique, and the most appropriate treatment will be determined by a professional.